1939 Ford Tudor Project - Engine Buildup - Part II

Project Freeway Fats is a 39 Ford Tudor sedan. In this series of build-up stories, were detailing the fabrication, restoration and assembly of the car using some of the top builders in the country as sources. Many of the build-up techniques involved are common to all street rods, and many more are common to all types of hot rod projects, regardless of year, make or model. Project Freeway Fats is designed to draw upon those techniques and illustrate how to build a reliable, durable, daily-driven street rod. The emphasis is less on flash than on function, and the greatest stress is being placed on the cars handling, performance and safety.

In the previous installment (Click Here To View Part I Of The Engine Buildup), we detailed the assembly of the Ford SVO 5.0L GT-40 long-block. While essentially the same as the stock 5.0L long-block, the Ford Motorsport version has been enhanced with a performance camshaft and better-breathing cylinder heads. In this installment, well complete the SVO small-block with specific details on the GT-40 intake system as well as a set of Sanderson headers that have been treated with Jet-Hot ceramic coating.

The GT-40 intake runners offer both a larger cross-sectional area and equivalent runner length compared to the stock 5.0L intake found in Mustangs equipped with mass-airflow fuel injection. The increase in cross-section boosts mid- and upper-range power, and the runner length retains bottom-end torque. In addition, we installed a 65mm Ford Motorsport throttle body, which provides even greater power increases on engines modified with the upper and lower GT-40 manifold package.

The completed engine will produce about 300 horsepower and 330 lbs-ft of torque in the version built by John Vermeerschs Total Performance. Vermeerschtechnical adviser to the Ford Motorsport SVO programincluded a cleanup of the bowl area in our engines GT-40 cylinder heads. He also pointed out that while our 39 sedan is exempt from emissions requirements, the GT-40 V8 can be made 50-state legal by using a different cam and other emissions-related products. In that guise, the engine will produce 270 horsepower, which is still a large step up from the factory-stock 5.0s 225 horses.

To make the most of the horsepower advantage derived from the SVO engine package, we acquired a set of Sanderson shorty headers. As with any engine, exhaust flow can make or break power. If the exhaust side isnt efficient enough to clear the combustion chambers during the exhaust stroke, the intake cannot fully fill the chambers with a fresh air/fuel charge. The Sanderson headers for the Ford small-block are designed specifically to fit within street-rod chassis dimensions and provide maximum exhaust flow.

We had the headers treated inside and out with Jet-Hots ceramic coating. The permanent coating prevents corrosion and thermal fatigue while also helping to seal heat within the header. The higher interior heat actually works to increase exhaust velocity and reduces engine-compartment temperatures. The coating also improves the bare headers appearance and is available in colors ranging from a chrome-like silver to black.

Check out the accompanying photos for the completion of the engine, and keep following along as we turn the fat-fendered Ford into a freeway flyer.